Reader's question: Early on Bush had such a healthy lead some experts were predicting he would win hands down in November. But two weeks later Gore caught up and some polls showed him edging ahead.

Could you explain "win hands down"?

My comments:

If you can win, say, a fistfight with someone without lifting a hand, then you literally win the fight with both hands down.

Hence, if you win anything hands down, you are able to do it easily, effortlessly.

In the above example: Pundits (experts, analysts) thought Bush would win, hands down (as adverb), in November (elections) because he had a healthy (big) lead (in the polls).

Related stories:

Out on the street

Fly-by-night

Apple polisher

Might-have-beens

Think the world of

Ante up

Sit on the fence

On top of the world

Button your lip

One for the books

Pass the buck

Raw deal

Fire sale

Spill the beans

Sacred cow

Cheek to jowl

Peaches and cream

Know-it-all

A long shot

Miss the boat

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點(diǎn)，與本網(wǎng)立場無關(guān)。歡迎大家討論學(xué)術(shù)問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發(fā)布一切違反國家現(xiàn)行法律法規(guī)的內(nèi)容。

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.